Your First Time at the Mosque as a New Muslim: What to Expect

The first visit is usually the hardest. You worry about doing something wrong in front of people who have prayed their whole lives. When I took my shahada, I was too embarrassed to ask anyone at the mosque how to pray. A lot of reverts feel the same.

Here is what actually happens inside, so nothing surprises you.

Before you go

Pick a quiet prayer for your first visit

Friday is the busiest day of the week. It is also the day most people choose for their first visit, which makes it the most overwhelming. If you can, go first on a weekday for Dhuhr, Asr or Maghrib. There will be fewer people, and it is easier to watch and learn.

Check the women's space

Many mosques have a separate women's section, sometimes with its own entrance. Some small mosques have little or no space for women. If you are a woman, check the mosque's website or send a message first, so you do not end up at a door that is not yours.

What to wear

• Men: loose clothes that cover at least from the navel to the knees. Long trousers and a shirt that stays down when you bow are the easy choice. Avoid shorts and very tight clothing.
• Women: loose clothes that cover the whole body except the face and hands, plus a headscarf. If you do not own one yet, many mosques keep spare scarves and prayer clothes by the women's entrance.
• Everyone: clean socks. You will take your shoes off, and people will see your feet.

Make wudu at home

Mosques have wudu areas, but they can be crowded and confusing the first time. Doing wudu at home removes one thing to worry about. If you are not sure how, our wudu guide takes about five minutes to read.

Walking in

1. Take your shoes off before you step onto the prayer carpet. There will be shelves.
2. It is sunnah to enter with your right foot first. Nobody will check. It is just a nice habit to pick up.
3. Put your phone on silent. Not vibrate. Silent.
4. If there is time before the prayer starts, you can pray two short rak'ahs to greet the mosque. If you do not know how yet, just sit down quietly. That is fine.

Do not walk directly in front of someone who is praying. Go around, or wait for them to finish.

When the prayer starts

A second call, the iqamah, tells everyone the prayer is starting. People stand and form straight rows facing the qibla.

Where to stand

• Men stand in rows behind the imam. Women pray in rows behind the men, or in their own section.
• Fill the rows from the front and the middle. If there is a gap in a row ahead of you, go fill it.
• Stand shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot with the people next to you. It will feel too close at first. That closeness is on purpose.

If you do not know the prayer yet

This is the part most people are scared of, and it is simpler than you think. In congregation, you follow the imam. When he bows, you bow. When he goes down into prostration, you go down. You do not move before him.

Stand close to the middle of a row, not at the very end, so you can see people on both sides. Watch them. After a few prayers, the movements become automatic.

If you only know a few words, say those. If you know none yet, read how to pray before you know Al-Fatiha. It covers what to say while you are learning.

If you arrive late

Join the row and start with Allahu Akbar, then do what the imam is doing at that moment. When the imam ends the prayer with salam, do not end with him. Stand up and complete the rak'ahs you missed on your own. If you are not sure how many that is, quietly ask someone after. People ask this all the time.

After the prayer

Many people stay seated for a few minutes and make dhikr, repeating phrases like Subhan Allah and Alhamdulillah. Some pray extra voluntary rak'ahs. You can stay, or you can quietly leave. Both are normal.

Someone might come over and say salam. Sometimes they will ask where you are from, or if you are new. You can simply say, “I became Muslim recently, and I am still learning.” In most mosques, that sentence opens doors. People will offer to help, give you their number, or invite you to a class.

Occasionally someone will correct you, and not always gently. It stings. Most of the time it comes from a good place and bad delivery. Say thank you, take what is useful, and do not let one person decide how you feel about the whole community.

Ask for the imam

Imams meet new Muslims more often than you think. After a prayer, ask someone to point him out and introduce yourself. Ask if the mosque has a class or contact person for new Muslims. Many do, and the ones that do not usually know someone who helps.

Keep going back

The second visit is easier than the first. The fifth feels normal. Faces become familiar, and the prayer you were nervous about becomes something you look forward to.

If your mosque works with new Muslims, Revertly has free codes for mosques to hand out, so they can give reverts something to practise with at home.